Mount Rushmore - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 3 Academic Listening Test 3 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
Audio
Questions
Questions 11–15 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- The government finally paid $ 11 to complete the heads of four United States Presidents.
- The purpose of the construction of the president's heads is to develop 12.
- The carvings face 13 to experience maximum exposure to sunlight.
- In 1885, the mountain was renamed after a 14.
- It took 15 years to finish the project.
Questions 16–20 Map Labeling
Label the map below.
Write the correct letter, A-E.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | 1 million / 1000000 / 1,000,000 | In total it cost the government $1 million to sculpt the heads at Mount Rushmore | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that the government paid one million dollars ($1 million) to make the stone heads at Mount Rushmore. Answer Explanation: The answer is the total amount of money the government spent on making the sculptures. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the transcript explicitly states the total cost to the government for sculpting the heads. The word 'cost' refers to the money 'paid' by the government to finish the project. |
| Q12 | tourism | The sculpture has also worked perfectly as a way to develop tourism, which was its intended purpose, and now attracts over two million people a year | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the project was successful in improving the local travel industry, which was the original reason or goal for building it. Answer Explanation: The answer tourism refers to the business of attracting people to visit a place for leisure and travel. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is tourism because the speaker explains that before the carvings existed, very few people visited the mountain. The speaker directly states that the "intended purpose" of making these large sculptures was to help tourism grow in the area, meaning they wanted more people to travel there to see them. |
| Q13 | southeast / south-east | Instead he chose to locate the carving at Mount Rushmore due to its grand appearance and brightly lit rock faces that experience maximum exposure to sunlight throughout the day as a result of the south-east orientation | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says the sculptor chose this mountain because its position, facing the south-east, allows the rock to get the most sunlight during the day. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the compass direction that the carved faces look toward. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'southeast' or 'south-east' because the speaker explains that the sculptor chose Mount Rushmore for its 'south-east orientation'. This orientation (or direction) allows the rocks to get the most sunlight possible during the day, which keeps them bright and visible. |
| Q14 | lawyer | The location was originally known as the Six Grandfathers, however during an expedition in 1885 the mountain was renamed after Charles E. Rushmore, a prominent New York lawyer who joked that his annual treks to the mountain had earned him the right to have it named after him | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that in 1885, the mountain's name was changed to 'Mount Rushmore' to honor Charles E. Rushmore, who worked as a lawyer in New York. Answer Explanation: The answer is a job title for a person who works with the law and rules. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the history of the mountain's name. The speaker explains that in 1885, the original name 'Six Grandfathers' was changed to honor a man named Charles E. Rushmore. The text specifically identifies Charles E. Rushmore's job by calling him a 'prominent New York lawyer.' The word 'prominent' suggests he was well-known or important in his profession. |
| Q15 | 7 / seven | In 1927 the construction work started and seven years later was complete with no fatalities | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the building work began in 1927 and was finished seven years after it started. Answer Explanation: The answer is the number 7 or the word seven, which tells us how long the building work lasted. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 7/seven because the guide mentions that work on the mountain began in 1927 and was finished exactly seven years after that. To finish a project is the same as it being complete. |
| Q16 | A | If you follow the trail up to our left, you will find the information centre | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that you can find the information centre by walking along the path that goes to the left. Answer Explanation: The answer is A, which is the letter on the map that points to the information centre. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the guide tells the group that if they take the path (trail) to their left, they will see the information centre. The guide mentions the 'left' side to help people find where it is located from the entrance. |
| Q17 | C | In front of us is the refreshment centre where you can help yourselves to coffee, locally grown tea and a delicious selection of cold drinks and biscuits | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the building for drinks and snacks is located directly ahead of the people at the entrance. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies letter C on the map as the location of the refreshment centre. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the speaker describes the location of the refreshment centre relative to where the group is currently standing. Since they are at the entrance, the phrase 'in front of us' marks the building directly ahead on the map, which is labeled C. The mention of 'refreshment centre' followed by items like 'coffee', 'tea', and 'biscuits' confirms that this is the place to get food and drinks. |
| Q18 | E | To our right not far up the trail is the gift shop | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that if you look to the right side of the path, you will see the store where you can buy things. Answer Explanation: The answer E is the location of the gift shop on the map. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is determined by the speaker's directions. While standing at the entrance, the speaker tells the group to look to their right to find the gift shop. Keywords to listen for are 'to our right' and 'gift shop' together. |
| Q19 | D | Now further up the trail behind the gift shop is a big stone building with a workshop | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that if you keep walking past the gift shop, you will find a large stone building where the workshop is located. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies that location D on the map represents the workshop. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is determined by following the guide's directions from the entrance. The guide first points out the gift shop to the right, and then states that further along the path and situated behind that shop is a large building made of stone which houses the workshop. Therefore, the spot labeled D marks this specific location. |
| Q20 | B | If you carry on walking up the trail past the workshop you'll find our state of the art visitor centre where you can find maps of the walking trails here at Mount Rushmore | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that if you walk farther up the path and go past the building where they make things (the workshop), you will reach the visitor centre. Answer Explanation: The answer is point B on the map, which represents the visitor centre. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the guide describes the locations in a sequence along a trail. After mentioning the gift shop and the workshop located behind it, the guide explains that continuing along that same path will lead you to the visitor centre. Keywords to look for are 'carry on', 'past the workshop', and 'find'. |
Transcript
Good morning, everybody and welcome to Mount Rushmore! To start your visit I'm just going to give you a brief account of the history of the memorial before letting you roam about on your own. I won't keep you long. OK?
Mount Rushmore is South Dakota's top tourist attraction and features the heads of four United States Presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Each head is 18 metres tall, which is taller than the heights of eleven people combined! The sculptor initially wanted to depict the presidents from head to waist, but due to a lack of funding the construction had to stop before this vision could be realised. In total it cost the government $1 million to sculpt the heads at Mount Rushmore.
Before the construction of the presidents' heads, the mountain was just bare rock and forest attracting only a few hikers a year. The new carving at Mount Rushmore has become an iconic symbol of presidential greatness and has appeared in works of fiction and other popular works. The sculpture has also worked perfectly as a way to develop tourism, which was its intended purpose, and now attracts over two million people a year.
The original plan was to carve the Presidents' faces into the granite pillars known as 'The Needles', however the sculptor soon realised that these rocks were too eroded and delicate to support such a large sculpture. Instead he chose to locate the carving at Mount Rushmore due to its grand appearance and brightly lit rock faces that experience maximum exposure to sunlight throughout the day as a result of the south-east orientation. Upon seeing Mount Rushmore, the sculptor declared 'America will march along that skyline.'
The name of Mount Rushmore also has an interesting history. The location was originally known as the Six Grandfathers, however during an expedition in 1885 the mountain was renamed after Charles E. Rushmore, a prominent New York lawyer who joked that his annual treks to the mountain had earned him the right to have it named after him. Forty years after the mountain was renamed, Charles E. Rushmore donated $5,000 towards the sculpting of the president's heads – the largest single contribution. In 1927 the construction work started and seven years later was complete with no fatalities.
So that's the history for you. If you'd like any more information, please feel free to ask me questions, or you can soak up the information from our fantastic guide book.
Now I'm going to give you a plan of the site and I'd just like to point out where everything is so that you can explore everything for yourself. We're currently standing at the entrance, which is marked with the arrow on the map. If you follow the trail up to our left, you will find the information centre. There's a great photo booth there where you can have your photograph taken with Mount Rushmore in the background for a fee of only $10 – what a great souvenir! In front of us is the refreshment centre where you can help yourselves to coffee, locally grown tea and a delicious selection of cold drinks and biscuits. Be sure to stay hydrated as it can get really hot up here! To our right not far up the trail is the gift shop. Here we sell copies of the guide book and it's also the perfect place to pick up some small souvenirs for yourself, your family and friends. Now further up the trail behind the gift shop is a big stone building with a workshop. This is where all of our souvenirs are made by hand, which you can purchase in the gift shop like I said before. Some are even carved from pieces of rock taken from Mount Rushmore itself! If you carry on walking up the trail past the workshop you'll find our state of the art visitor centre where you can find maps of the walking trails here at Mount Rushmore. Now for the real treat! After you have walked past the visitor centre, you can follow the trail up to the left, which will take you to our wooden shelter. From here you will have the best view of Mount Rushmore that there is – an experience not be forgotten!
Right, if anyone wants a guided tour then I'm starting at the information centre. If you'd like to follow me, this way please.